What you need...
Families deserve guidance that is honest, supportive, and clear when tackling the college application process. I'm Katy and I have dedicated myself to understanding students' goals, helping them communicate their story, and making the college process feel manageable instead of overwhelming.
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Insight from an experienced advisor, who worked as a Top-25 university Admissions Officer
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Guidance shaped by real experience evaluating thousands of first‑year and transfer applications.
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Writing instruction sessions from an experienced writing teacher
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A student‑centered advising experience
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Clear communication with parents
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Organized systems and timelines
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Encouraging, supportive guidance
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Flexible scheduling
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Transparent advising with clear expectations and honest feedback
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I have read thousands of applications from the admissions side. I've learned what makes a student stand out, what missteps they easily make, and what makes them compelling applicants that colleges want to admit.
I can help with:
Highlighting personality traits and interests that appeal to colleges
How to write with authenticity or make an application memorable
How to avoid cliches or common, overdone essay motifs
Listening to your student to identify patterns, or interests, or character traits even they may have overlooked
Demystifying the process and debunking common myths
Showcasing the amazing student behind the resume
Apply with Confidence
After years reading thousands of applications for a highly selective, top-25 university, I've seen what the application process can do to families and students. I started Lantern Light to guide families away from the stress and anxiety and toward the excitement and clarity that comes with knowing more about the process, about a student's college fit, and about today's admissions landscape. Applying to college can be such an exciting time; a time where all the hard work gets celebrated and the possibilities seem endless. It's a moment to bask in your glory a little! But it's also important to communicate those accomplishments to colleges. I've learned that students often need some help discovering and showcasing their gifts and passions. That's what I'm here for.
Guidance
Instruction
Coaching
Advising
Counseling
Cheerleading
Mentoring
About
Package #1
Junior Year Strategy Package
Package #1
Beginning in your Junior Year, a strategic planning package that will help with academic & course planning for 11th-12th grades, an activities evaluation and strategy, summer planning, early college list exploration and some early brainstorming activities to position you for applying in your Senior Year.
Package #2
Comprehensive Senior Year Package
Comprehensive college selection and application planning tailored to your academic profile and long-term goals, beginning the summer before your senior year, and the fall of your senior year. This includes essay consults, Common App overviews, and activity list development.
Package #4
Individual Support
Hourly one-on-one consultations to address any other concerns and provide personalized feedback on your application materials: anything from essay revisions to college list building or course selection. This could also include early college planning for 8th graders through 11th graders.
Are There Secrets in College Admissions?
Your application process does not need to be as stressful and unsettling as many Instagram influencers and pre-college programs make it out to be. There aren’t as many secrets or ‘codes to crack’ in college admissions as they would have you believe. In fact, it is often more straight-forward than it would seem: be an exceptional student, be remarkable and passionate in your extracurricular activities, demonstrate sustained excellence in academics in the most rigorous classes available, get into top-tier programs. Colleges want actively engaged students and students who will contribute to and perform well at their schools. They want their students to succeed. And context matters.
There it is: high performing students who demonstrate ambition and are exceptional get into more competitive schools. Therefore, in some sense, college admissions are not so mysterious.
But the goal posts have certainly moved. A 4.0 GPA and membership in a few school clubs may not translate to a wave of acceptances as it did a generation ago. The current admissions climate does require some knowledge, data and research, and some willingness to throw out preconceptions of the college process from 20 or 30 years ago. There are many kinds of colleges that offer many amazing opportunities to prepare students for fulfilling lives and careers. For more competitive schools, applicants need to do more than rely on their stats. They don't need to manufacture a fake story about who they shoudl be; they need to tell their own, authentic stories, build narratives about who they are, and let their enthusiasm shine through.
For many families, there is still a lot to discover in today's world of college admissions.
That’s where I come in with guidance, counseling, and a system to help students through the application process. I can give them tools to make the application process smoother, guide them on what to focus on, and show them some strategies that will let their natural abilities and skills shine through.
Choose Your Level of Guidance
Some students have the application down. They feel equipped to showcase their strengths, can rely on the academic work they’ve done in high school, and may only need a touch here or there, or perhaps some essay help to help them discover their voice and tell their story.
Some families don’t know what they don’t know. Maybe they don’t have experience with the American college system; maybe they didn’t apply to college themselves; or maybe they feel their knowledge of the current system is outdated and would like to learn about the entire process. Maybe the student simply needs someone (other than a parent) to impress upon them the importance of academics and solid performance. To encourage them to showcase themselves so that they have options down the road.
Perhaps students would like someone to guide them with schedules to keep them on track, help them develop a list of schools that may be good matches, or want advice on what courses to take or what activities they might enjoy. They may need the process demystified and someone to support them during the months leading up to application deadlines. I can help with all of these.
I guide students through the process of applying and developing an application plan, helping them create a cohesive and cogent story in their application. For students and families interested in a comprehensive advising experience, I break the process down into simple steps. We meet, get to know each other, talk about classes, activities, interests and goals. Then we will start forming a list of colleges that are safety schools, targets and reaches. I walk them through an essay strategy to help them discover their own voice and authenticity. We’ll talk about their activities list and what makes them stand out. And we will stay on task with deadlines and schedules, making sure they've submitted what they need, including letters of recommendation, test scores and application materials.